WKIZ (1500 AM) was a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Key West, Florida, United States, the station was last owned by Daniel Caamano, through licensee Almavision of Miami,[2] brokered to KONK Communications.
History
WKIZ began broadcasting on March 27, 1959.[1] It was owned by the Florida Keys Broadcasting Corporation.[3]
In the early 1990s, the station aired an oldies format.[4][5] It was taken off the air December 6, 1994, but resumed broadcasting in early 1997, as an affiliate of Bloomberg News.[6][7] It adopted a Spanish language format later in the year.[8] In the 2000s, the station aired a progressive talk format as an affiliate of Air America.[9][10][11]
In 2010, Overseas Radio, LLC began brokering broadcasting time on WKIZ.[12] The station was branded KONK and aired a talk radio format. The radio station was called "The Best Talk Radio Station in Florida" by Florida Monthly magazine (September 2010).[13][14] KONK originally signed on May 26, 2009, as an unlicensed station operating under U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Part 15 low power rules, broadcasting on 1630 kHz at 1 milliwatt, covering only the island of Key West.[15]
The station was taken off the air on September 10, 2017, due to damage to its transmitter, caused by Hurricane Irma.[16] It resumed operations in September 2018, running reduced power of 62.5 watts, but was again taken silent on October 22, 2018.[17][18] Its license expired on February 1, 2020, as its owner failed to file an application to renew the station's license.[19]
^"Keys radio station strengthens signal". Florida Keys Keynoter. Marathon, Florida. February 24, 2010. Station owner Guy de Boer has entered into a lease/management agreement with WKIZ-1500, owned by Washington state-based Seattle Streaming Radio, which has a 250-watt transmitter on 5th Avenue on Stock Island.[dead link]
